Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-02-18

Give fools their gold X X naves their power
Let fortunes bubbles rise and fail;
Who sOws a field trains flower.
Or plants a tree. is more than all.
SOMETHING ABOUT TOBACCO.
THE Low PRICES CAUSED BY OVER
PRODUCTION AND UNSkILLED
CULTIVATION.

DAILY Register from MAJOR W. L.
Sutherlin. of Danville. who has had
large experience in both the cultiva
tion and manufacture of tobacco:
The extreme low price Of tobacco
and the dullness of the trade with
manufacturers and dealers, is causing
great anxiety among farmers of this
section Of Virginia and North Carolina
and the constant inquiries by my
friends and neighbors as to the cause,
and how to remedy their evils, have
induced me reluctantly to write this
letter.
| deem it proper first to direct at
tention to some of the reasons for the
existing state of depression.
The production of tobacco is in ex-
cess of the demand, the accumulation
is so great that but few people will
purchase it, except at prices that are
rulnous to the producers, because they
do not now see when or where they
can dispose of it for profit. This
over-production has been going on for
years, until it has reached its climax.
The fact that tobacco kept up In
price longer than any other article of
farm product of this country, induced
many to abandon the cultivation OF
cotton and grain, and even to pillow up
beautiful fields of blue grass to make
tobacco, until about one half of all the
States are producing large quantities
of tobacco. In this way the accumula-
tion has become so great, and the price
so low, that it strikes terror to pro-
ducer, manufacturer and dealer alike.
Nearly all are loaded down with stock,
and new crop is soon to be thrown
upon the market to further depress
trade and reouce prices In addition,
the cultivation of tobaceois being ex
tended all over the world, and many
foreign countries that Were important
purchasers of our product are getting
large part of their supplies elsew here.
In many sections tobacco has been
grown oD unsuitable land, and by un-
experienced ami unskilled cultivators,
without suitable buildings and other
appliances for its proper handling,
greatly increasing the supply inferior
grades that cannot be proftably used
for any purpose, thus adding to the
already accumulated stock Of poor to-
bacco to further depress PROSTATE
market.
The habit Of many land owners in
this section TO intrust the cultivation
of their farms toignorant and unskilled
tenants, who make nothing but com
mon tobacco that will not sell for
enough in many cases to pay for the
fertilizers, or even the hauling and
warehouse charges, has much to do
with the cry of "hard times" now. The
purchase Of provisions and fertilizers
in such large quantities, is one of the
great evils of our system, and that
alone, if persisted in, will ruin us.
The large amount of money we an
nually pay out for horses and mules
contributes no little to our lack of
thrift and prosperity.
1t is the opinion of many persons
that the internal revenue tax by the
government has contributed largely to
bring about the present depression in
the price of tobacco, which is doubtless
true to a considerable extent.
Another evil is the general tendency
to over ercropping. The mistaken am
bition of many tobacco growers is to
aim for quantity rather than quality,
ignoring the fact that one pound of
fine tobacco will sell on the markets
for more than five, or even ten pounds
of common, and also the inclination
to hold on to the old maxim of "the
lower the price the larger the crop"
The indisposition to raise horses,
cattle, sheep and hogs, and the little
attention given to poultry, vegetables
and fruits, contributes largely to the
lack of prosperity and home comforts
of the farm.
Another reason for our depression
and lack of prosperity is that, not
withstanding we constitute about one
half the population of this country,
we are practically without representa-
tion in councils of the nation, and are
common prey for all professions and
callings. The result is we are heavily
taxed to protect all other industries
foreign countries in great measure,
againt our surplus products, forcing
us to accept a home market and con-
tinued reduction in prices and enhanc
ed charges on what we buy. We are
confronted on all sides by monopolists
and also by powerful organizations ot
all other classes of workingmen, tc
protect their labor and enhance their
wages. while the farmers are plodding
along, each one thinking aud acting
for himself, independent Of the rest
| might continue this list of errors
and mistakes but l have SAID enough
to arrest the attention of the thought
full reader, and he can supply the omis
sions. | hope at no distant day te
present the other side of the picture
with some suggestions for our present
help, and also for the improvement o1
our agricultural and tobacco growing
system.
DANVILLE, Va, Dec. s
w. T. SUTHERLIN.
There is no better time in the yeal
to devise plans for farm improvement
IL RI frAp r.